Ed Sheeran has announced he is leaving Warner Music Group (WMG), bringing to a close a 15-year partnership that took him from local pub gigs to global stadium tours.
In a statement, the singer-songwriter said the decision portrayed changes in his personal and professional life since signing with the label as a teenager.
"We’ve built something amazing together and enjoyed such life-changing stuff happening to us," he said.
Sheeran added that he now feels the need to shift how he works as an artist and father-of-two.
"This isn’t a 'disgruntled artist leaves record label' type situation.
"It’s a boy who started as a teenager on the company with different priorities, to the father-of-two man who exists now, who feels like he needs a shift and change in the way he does things professionally," he said.
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WMG said it was proud to have supported Sheeran’s career from his early days and would continue to manage his catalogue.
"We’ll ensure that his music will touch hearts and move feet around the world for generations to come," the company said.
The Suffolk-born musician first gained widespread attention with his 2011 single The A Team, which earned a Grammy nomination for Song of the Year.
He has since released multiple multi-platinum albums and won four Grammy Awards and seven Brit Awards.
In 2017 he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music and charity.
Sheeran has also been active in promoting music education in the United Kingdom (UK), supporting programmes that led to changes in the national curriculum.
He has not yet announced details of his next label or independent plans.
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